Numerous community associations such as the Immigrant Cooperation Forum, the Wilmington Section of the Democratic Socialists of America, and the Unseparable Wilmington, staged a demonstration along the road to Wrightsville Beach, urging holidaymakers to ‘subscribe to their principles.’ A campaign organizer disclosed that the choice of location was to maximize the reach of their message concerning the agreement Avelo Airlines struck with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to carry out expulsion flights.
The idea was to have a substantial impact on the public: ‘Local funds have been used to promote Avelo’s Wilmington and other destinations to attract tourists. We aim to emphasize that travellers must be conscious that the lure of low-priced flights could come with the penalty of supporting a company involved in potential human rights violations.’ Avelo Airlines, a discounted airlines company, has a footprint in 23 states.
Earlier in the year, Avelo began operating from a new base in Wilmington. This sparked a series of demonstrations across the city. The first agitation against Avelo was seen in May, right in front of the airport, but the recent week witnessed a nationwide campaign targeting the airline with the intention to impose a ‘commercial stress’ as a result of their agreement with ICE.
Now, it’s turned into a nationwide protest. Today, we are part of a widespread demonstration taking place in several U.S. cities that Avelo services.’ said a protester. ‘Avelo is unique in that it’s the only commercial air carrier with a contract to conduct deportation flights with ICE. Their removal flights operate out of Arizona, heading towards El Salvador. Our main goal today is to urge people to avoid using Avelo.’
The discourse surrounding immigration is certainly not harmonious, and shifting people’s perspective on the matter is undoubtedly challenging. However, the aim of the advocates both locally and throughout the country is to encourage travelers to reconsider their airline of preference. A participant of the demonstration stated, ‘It does seem like our voices are being heard. Avelo’s decision to cancel and reduce flight operations, even though it hasn’t been felt in Wilmington yet, is proof.’
There is hope that the local protest actions will bring about significant transformation. Avelo, on the other hand, has advocated their collaboration with ICE, stating the necessity for financial solidity. A key member of one of the supporter groups submitted a request for public documentation to the New Hanover County Airport Authority.
After a couple of months, the Deputy Airport Director responded stating that the Airport Authority had not allocated any resources to Avelo or approved any variations to the airline’s budget. He provided a copy of Avelo’s standard lease agreement – the same terms that apply to every airline at the ILM. He also provided an outline of the airport’s incentive scheme which is extended to all airlines operating there.
However, after a series of email exchanges, he confirmed that certain funding directed towards local marketing has been used to boost Avelo customers and the ILM Airport since the airline’s inception. With the start of Avelo’s operation, the local economy has seen a substantial impact. Nevertheless, the underlying ethical issues remain contentious.
Despite an evident economic impact, one protestor challenged the assertion, citing that it is difficult to reconcile with the statistics showing that the total tourist expenditure in New Hanover County was $1.1 billion in 2023. ‘Given the yearly GDP for the county was less than $20 billion in the last reported fiscal year, attributing such monumental economic activity to Avelo seems far-fetched.’
However, as was pointed out, there is an ethical dimension that overshadows the economic impact. ‘The key question at hand surpasses the realm of economic benefits. Can we, as a society, ignore Avelo’s involvement in deportation flights considered to be illegal and inhumane, blindly focusing on the profits we gain from their other enterprises? What moral cost are we paying if we continue to permit these expulsion flights?’
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